Government Shutdown 2019

Please note: The information provided in this post was accurate and up-to-date at the time of posting. Due to the dynamic nature of immigration policy, it is possible that the information or links provided may have changed over time. Users are advised to verify the accuracy and relevance of the content.

January 7, 2019

The US government shutdown may impact certain government services until a resolution is reached. NAFSA's Government Shutdown Updates page has updated links to services which might impact student, scholar, or employment-based status holders. 

  • Berkeley International Office is aware that Customs and Border Protection Deferred Inspections office in San Francisco has been impacted by the shutdown, and appointments for Deferred Inspection are currently unavailable.
  • Department of State Visa and Passport Services - "Consular operations domestically and abroad will remain operational as long as there are sufficient fees to support operations. However, if a passport agency is located in a government building affected by a lapse in appropriations, the facility may become unsupported. The continuance of consular operations in such instances will be treated on a case-by-case basis by the Office of the Under Secretary for Management."

  • Departartment of Labor Office of Foreign Labor Certification- "December 27, 2018. OFLC National Processing Centers Are Open.

  • "U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services"The current lapse in annual appropriated funding for the U.S. government does not affect USCIS’s fee-funded activities. Our offices will remain open, and all individuals should attend interviews and appointments as scheduled. USCIS will continue to accept petitions and applications for benefit requests, except as noted below. Some USCIS programs, however, will either expire or suspend operations, or be otherwise affected, until they receive appropriated funds or are reauthorized by Congress. These include:

  • E-Verify. This free internet-based system allows businesses to determine the eligibility of their employees to work in the U.S. 
  • Conrad 30 Waiver Program for J-1 medical doctors. This program allows J-1 doctors to apply for a waiver of the two-year residence requirement after completing the J-1 exchange visitor program. The expiration only affects the date by which the J-1 doctor must have entered the U.S.; it is not a shutdown of the Conrad 30 program entirely."